TV - Why has't thou forsaken me?
Apr. 22nd, 2003 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
itsallovernowInspired in part by several of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
searose posts, and the actions of my best friend, I want to talk about TV, or more realistically TV programming and why for me it's all about personal appeal.
My friend S. and her husband M. are participating in the great cable experiment right now. After years of being obsessive TV watchers, they tapered off to the point of canceling the cable after Farscape ended. Two weeks ago, S. calls me giggling like a fiend.
"M. just called the cable company and canceled it." We both giggle. "This is the best part, though," she says. "The women asked M. why we were canceling and he said because they canceled Farscape and there was nothing else worth paying for." The woman pauses, obviously confused, and says, slowly and deliberately, "So that would be programming?" Which just killed us for some reason.
I'd like to follow in their footsteps, canceling cable and saving the money, but living with M. sort of makes that a moot point. Channel surfing is one of his hobbies and HAL is kind of an overwhelming presence in the living room. But, I'm pretty much reduced to DVD's at this point, and here's why.
Buffy, Alias, and the rest of the viewing options (this is really frelling long, and a little pointless)
I've obsessively loved two shows in the past 15 years: The X-Files and Farscape. Obsession is all in the details and I became passionately attached to these two shows because of the characters, the writing, the plots, everything. I love the layers. I even love the fuck-ups. I dream about them, I write about them, and I know every episode title and can identify snippets, quotes and stills from a mile away. So what. So can tons of people. What drew me to them was the humanity, the flaws, the beauty and reaching of the ideals. I also love the female characters. I had black suede pumps like Scully's purple lace up ones - total coincidence actually, and in a fit of drunken giddiness in a Roman taverna, we toasted cheap wine toasts to Scully's shoes.
The character was everything that, we, as young, analytical, educated young women longed to be. She was cool, sharp, dubious, smart as hell, occasionally humorless, but strong as steel. She had bad taste until they moved the show to LA and started dressing her in Tahari suits. I can't afford Tahari suits, and neither can a g-woman, but she looked damned good. And when she cried, we bled, because tears cost her something in the world she lived in. And then - well, Chris Carter I forgive you for the kissing, I forgive you for the colossal ridiculousness of the mytharc, I forgive you for a lot, but I will not forgive you for having Gillian Anderson bawl throughout Seasons Eight and Nine. Yes, she cries beautifully, but it was too much. If you're going to break her, break her. I didn't want the softer side of Scully, I wanted the woman who belted out "Now" to the inhabitats of the Federal Building to get them in gear.
Farscape was the same thing, in a way. The first episode we saw was The Way We Weren't and seeing this woman sobbing like she was dying rooted me to my seat. It was unforgiving, and moving at the same time. And they never broke that promise. When Aeryn cried, it was for real, for reasons, unable to control her emotions, losing her mind to them. She was such a force, strong and stubborn and practical and dynamic. Sometimes changing in ways that you just know are going to make life worse, and I don't necessarily agree with the criticisms of Season 4 that Aeryn is a different person, inconceivable and difficult to understand. They did break her, and then let her make a necessary but really bad decision to leave, and then came back with herself in tact, if jagged. She kept looking for herself in season four, sometimes settling in, sometimes rejecting what she found. But in Bringing Home the Beacon, the woman who stayed behind to kill the Scarran, who always puts duty first, is the character I knew.
Obviously, this is not about analysis in the truest sense, just reaction. I don't want to have an indepth discussion about either of these shows right now. I want to appreciate what I loved and why, which brings me to the topic at hand.
I still think Buffy is a damned good show. In fact, I watched it from the beginning. Sheepishly and embarrassed to tell people I was watching something called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The writing is witty, the arcs are well thought out and the characters do grow and change. I will be sad when it's over, but they've had a good run. They've pushed boundaries and taken risks and were a success. I'm happy for them. And dammnit, Buffy rarely cried and when she did she deserved it!! That being said, I've never connected with it in the same way. I've also watched Angel and Firefly, and have felt the same thing. I like them, they're eminently watchable, but for me, lacked the passion and resonance. I've never been able to relate to any of the characters. Yes, early on, I'd squeal everytime Spike was onscreen. I love Giles, and David Boreanaz looks lovely in those pants.
But I think, much as I can love a male lead and yes I did love Mulder - selfish, self-centered, lost, delusional, brilliant Mulder - and John Crichton, if I don't love the female lead, I have a short attention span. I can watch Buffy, but I never wanted to be her, or any of Joss Whedon's female characters. It's not a criticism, just an observation. And I don't believe in his theory of redemption. I don't think one savior is the answer to the world's problems - I'm not sure that he does either. I don't necessarily think that's the theme, but it can be. The ambiguity is probably my favorite part of Buffy, when it's done well. Faith is such a great example because she's the ultimate ambiguity. She killed without regret, and repented because she made the decision, took the consequences. Angel doing penance because he got his soul back is way less interesting. It's repent or die. Spike was more intersting pre-soul because he had to make a choice. Buffy had to face her destiny, but her journey has been interesting because of the choices she's made within that frame. Willow fucked up, tried to ruin the world, but hasn't had to face the consequences of that. I just think her fall was handled badly. So for every success, there's been a semi-failure. None of this makes it a bad show, and it's been a great ride, but again, I just never lusted after it like I did the X-Files and Farscape. Taste. Chacun a son gout.
So, as a result, I've been trying to find something that will fill the Buffy void. The, damn this is fun and worthwhile and I'm glad it's on, void. And nothing's doing it. I like the West Wing, but I forget to watch it. I watch CSI sometimes, but it makes me want to throw things because the characters are so wooden, and are mostly played by good actors. I just get bored during Smallville, and I like Gilmore Girls and watch it when I can, and it seems like the most likely candidate, but Rory's so perfect that sometimes I really dislike her, and the actress is eminently likeable.
So, for several weeks in a row, following the marathon on ABC family or whatever it was, I tried to watch Alias, and came to a conclusion that most people have reached if they've read this far. Women crying really evokes a reaction in me, and in this case, it's a negative reaction. Sidney Bristow is a secret agent whose mother supposedly died when she was young. She can kill someone with a spork. This should, ideally make her a bad ass. So why, oh why, oh why, does she have to cry all of the fucking time. Always crying. Secret agent means no crying. Again personal preference but it really, really bugs me and I found that I couldn't keep watching. Michael Varten, tiny head or not, is a cutie. Lena Olin is just frigging cool and still damned sexy. But I just don't have it in me to watch Jennifer Garner - who seems to not have hips - cry again.
So, personal preference reigns supreme. SciFi broke my heart and I won't give myself over to TV love again, but I wish there was something out there that for me could combat the reality TV tinted disgust that I feel facing HAL. Or maybe I don't need no stinking TV. I've got a house full of books and DVD's and that's usually enough. I've got Jon Stewart and the schnoodle, I've got Futurama and Simpsons and King of the Hill, and maybe Angel will get renewed and Cordelia will stay in her coma and I'll still convince myself to watch.
searose posts, and the actions of my best friend, I want to talk about TV, or more realistically TV programming and why for me it's all about personal appeal.My friend S. and her husband M. are participating in the great cable experiment right now. After years of being obsessive TV watchers, they tapered off to the point of canceling the cable after Farscape ended. Two weeks ago, S. calls me giggling like a fiend.
"M. just called the cable company and canceled it." We both giggle. "This is the best part, though," she says. "The women asked M. why we were canceling and he said because they canceled Farscape and there was nothing else worth paying for." The woman pauses, obviously confused, and says, slowly and deliberately, "So that would be programming?" Which just killed us for some reason.
I'd like to follow in their footsteps, canceling cable and saving the money, but living with M. sort of makes that a moot point. Channel surfing is one of his hobbies and HAL is kind of an overwhelming presence in the living room. But, I'm pretty much reduced to DVD's at this point, and here's why.
Buffy, Alias, and the rest of the viewing options (this is really frelling long, and a little pointless)
I've obsessively loved two shows in the past 15 years: The X-Files and Farscape. Obsession is all in the details and I became passionately attached to these two shows because of the characters, the writing, the plots, everything. I love the layers. I even love the fuck-ups. I dream about them, I write about them, and I know every episode title and can identify snippets, quotes and stills from a mile away. So what. So can tons of people. What drew me to them was the humanity, the flaws, the beauty and reaching of the ideals. I also love the female characters. I had black suede pumps like Scully's purple lace up ones - total coincidence actually, and in a fit of drunken giddiness in a Roman taverna, we toasted cheap wine toasts to Scully's shoes.
The character was everything that, we, as young, analytical, educated young women longed to be. She was cool, sharp, dubious, smart as hell, occasionally humorless, but strong as steel. She had bad taste until they moved the show to LA and started dressing her in Tahari suits. I can't afford Tahari suits, and neither can a g-woman, but she looked damned good. And when she cried, we bled, because tears cost her something in the world she lived in. And then - well, Chris Carter I forgive you for the kissing, I forgive you for the colossal ridiculousness of the mytharc, I forgive you for a lot, but I will not forgive you for having Gillian Anderson bawl throughout Seasons Eight and Nine. Yes, she cries beautifully, but it was too much. If you're going to break her, break her. I didn't want the softer side of Scully, I wanted the woman who belted out "Now" to the inhabitats of the Federal Building to get them in gear.
Farscape was the same thing, in a way. The first episode we saw was The Way We Weren't and seeing this woman sobbing like she was dying rooted me to my seat. It was unforgiving, and moving at the same time. And they never broke that promise. When Aeryn cried, it was for real, for reasons, unable to control her emotions, losing her mind to them. She was such a force, strong and stubborn and practical and dynamic. Sometimes changing in ways that you just know are going to make life worse, and I don't necessarily agree with the criticisms of Season 4 that Aeryn is a different person, inconceivable and difficult to understand. They did break her, and then let her make a necessary but really bad decision to leave, and then came back with herself in tact, if jagged. She kept looking for herself in season four, sometimes settling in, sometimes rejecting what she found. But in Bringing Home the Beacon, the woman who stayed behind to kill the Scarran, who always puts duty first, is the character I knew.
Obviously, this is not about analysis in the truest sense, just reaction. I don't want to have an indepth discussion about either of these shows right now. I want to appreciate what I loved and why, which brings me to the topic at hand.
I still think Buffy is a damned good show. In fact, I watched it from the beginning. Sheepishly and embarrassed to tell people I was watching something called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The writing is witty, the arcs are well thought out and the characters do grow and change. I will be sad when it's over, but they've had a good run. They've pushed boundaries and taken risks and were a success. I'm happy for them. And dammnit, Buffy rarely cried and when she did she deserved it!! That being said, I've never connected with it in the same way. I've also watched Angel and Firefly, and have felt the same thing. I like them, they're eminently watchable, but for me, lacked the passion and resonance. I've never been able to relate to any of the characters. Yes, early on, I'd squeal everytime Spike was onscreen. I love Giles, and David Boreanaz looks lovely in those pants.
But I think, much as I can love a male lead and yes I did love Mulder - selfish, self-centered, lost, delusional, brilliant Mulder - and John Crichton, if I don't love the female lead, I have a short attention span. I can watch Buffy, but I never wanted to be her, or any of Joss Whedon's female characters. It's not a criticism, just an observation. And I don't believe in his theory of redemption. I don't think one savior is the answer to the world's problems - I'm not sure that he does either. I don't necessarily think that's the theme, but it can be. The ambiguity is probably my favorite part of Buffy, when it's done well. Faith is such a great example because she's the ultimate ambiguity. She killed without regret, and repented because she made the decision, took the consequences. Angel doing penance because he got his soul back is way less interesting. It's repent or die. Spike was more intersting pre-soul because he had to make a choice. Buffy had to face her destiny, but her journey has been interesting because of the choices she's made within that frame. Willow fucked up, tried to ruin the world, but hasn't had to face the consequences of that. I just think her fall was handled badly. So for every success, there's been a semi-failure. None of this makes it a bad show, and it's been a great ride, but again, I just never lusted after it like I did the X-Files and Farscape. Taste. Chacun a son gout.
So, as a result, I've been trying to find something that will fill the Buffy void. The, damn this is fun and worthwhile and I'm glad it's on, void. And nothing's doing it. I like the West Wing, but I forget to watch it. I watch CSI sometimes, but it makes me want to throw things because the characters are so wooden, and are mostly played by good actors. I just get bored during Smallville, and I like Gilmore Girls and watch it when I can, and it seems like the most likely candidate, but Rory's so perfect that sometimes I really dislike her, and the actress is eminently likeable.
So, for several weeks in a row, following the marathon on ABC family or whatever it was, I tried to watch Alias, and came to a conclusion that most people have reached if they've read this far. Women crying really evokes a reaction in me, and in this case, it's a negative reaction. Sidney Bristow is a secret agent whose mother supposedly died when she was young. She can kill someone with a spork. This should, ideally make her a bad ass. So why, oh why, oh why, does she have to cry all of the fucking time. Always crying. Secret agent means no crying. Again personal preference but it really, really bugs me and I found that I couldn't keep watching. Michael Varten, tiny head or not, is a cutie. Lena Olin is just frigging cool and still damned sexy. But I just don't have it in me to watch Jennifer Garner - who seems to not have hips - cry again.
So, personal preference reigns supreme. SciFi broke my heart and I won't give myself over to TV love again, but I wish there was something out there that for me could combat the reality TV tinted disgust that I feel facing HAL. Or maybe I don't need no stinking TV. I've got a house full of books and DVD's and that's usually enough. I've got Jon Stewart and the schnoodle, I've got Futurama and Simpsons and King of the Hill, and maybe Angel will get renewed and Cordelia will stay in her coma and I'll still convince myself to watch.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-04-23 06:51 am (UTC)Yes, you're right. I want another show to fill the void. I want a show I don't forget to watch, because the showtime is in neon across my brain.
I always know my fan lurve of a show is in trouble when I tape it because I'm too busy to watch the broadcast, and then I keep putting off watching the tape.
I usually keep my ears open for the new fall lineup, but I think this year I'm going to put out an All Points Bulletin so that if *anybody* knows of something that might be good, they are to tell me pronto. Because I don't have anything past one hour a week to justify having cable in my house as it is now.
no subject
Date: 2003-04-23 12:35 pm (UTC)On the other hand, with Buffy and Angel, I'd totally forget to set the VCR and would have to call M. and give him instructions, if I remembered.
I don't want another obsession, but I would like something to look forward to. We pay an obscene amount of money for cable, and I'd like to at least pretend I'm getting something out of it. Although, without it, we wouldn't get any reception, so I probably should quit bitching. I just really, really hate Adelphia. There on my corporate hate list along with SciFi and Earthlink.